Cathy Liska 
Coaching sessions are different from HR meetings and amongst the most important distinctions are confidentiality and the relationship.
Confidentiality:
Specifically, HR records are confidential and they are owned by the company. Coaching session notes are even more confidential and are owned by the coach and the coachee. This means the notes are kept either on paper or on a personal computer because notes on a company computer or in a company email are owned by the company and discoverable.
The Relationship:
The HR professional is by necessity loyal to the company and the company is their client. For a coach, including internal coaches, the coachee is their client.
The separation of these roles enhances the value of coaching because of confidentiality and trust. Specifically, when the coachee knows that what they say is kept between them and their coach, they are given permission to openly discuss challenges and strategies, and to develop an effective action plan.
The steps for separating HR meetings from coaching sessions include:
- Review and compare the company Code of Ethics, HR Policies, and the ICF Code of Ethics.
- Define the separation of coaching and HR meetings and publish the distinction.
- For each meeting state clearly whether it is an HR meeting or a coaching session.
- Keep all records for HR as per requirements and keep all coaching session notes as per coaching ethics.
Both HR functions and coaching relationships benefit from this separation. Specifically, done correctly, coaching supports employee engagement and productivity which in turn enhances outcomes for HR and for the company.
